Power cable too short

sparkysxx

Pedelecer
Sep 6, 2024
33
11
Hi,

Stupidly I cut the power cable coming off the BBS02B, its 6 inches long now, I know I shouldn't of cut it but its done now, so all I can do is try my best to fix it, can I simply re solder it back together and use heat shrink with adhesive lining to make it longer again? I'm good with a soldering iron, i've spent the last 20 years tinkering with old R/C cars.

thanks
 
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thelarkbox

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 23, 2023
1,555
485
oxon
Yes, but you could just fit a hi power connector too like a waterproof marine grade xt90?
an extra power isolation option might be a nice security feature against opportunists.
 
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sparkysxx

Pedelecer
Sep 6, 2024
33
11
I was thinking of just wiring the controller straight into the battery with no connector involved at all, wish i had thought of that before cutting it but there ya go, I can't uncut it now. I was just trying to make it neat, but theres a load of other long wires that I can't cut anyway so don't really know why I did it.

I have the capacity to make the cable coming from the battery as long as i want it to. Its a shame that the power cable is potted in the controller, otherwise I'd just resolder it there.

Also i doubt this bike will see any water unless it starts raining whilst I'm out and I plan for that not to happen.
 

sparkysxx

Pedelecer
Sep 6, 2024
33
11
Re attached it but feel like a knob for cutting it in the first place, this hasn't helped y OCD, also lost more length on the cable doing this as the heat shrink was shrinking as I was soldering so had to start again.
 

matthewslack

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 26, 2021
2,401
1,606
I'd add an extra layer of protection using self-amalgamating tape. Underneath it will get a hard life.
 

guerney

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 7, 2021
11,952
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Bit late to the party. I soldered the ontroller wires to the battery, with branches off for soldered on lights - covered with self-adhesive marine heatshrink plus self-amgamating rubber tape... because marine heat-shrink has a hot glue layer, which of course can loosen and break down with movement, heat, oil, chemicals, sunlight, cow flatulence, cosmic rays etc.


A friend is going to print this for me
Looks good. How is it held on? Are those drainage holes at the bottom? So long as this object doesn't lead to your soldered connections to be immersed in water causing a short. The sheathing of BBS01B controller wires is pretty tough, but ostensibly for a modicum of impact protection, I surrounded them with webbing stuff used to organise wires in PCs, secured with the particularly small zipties often supplied with that webbing. Three or so years later polypropylene webbing and those wires are fine, but the controller has been somewhat eroded.


60227


Weird because I hardly ever go offroad. The motor casing is fine, it's paint must be sterner. 30ml of this "Heat Resistant" gloss paint arrived the other day, will get around to giving the controller a lick of paint, using the convenient in-cap brush. It'll take many years for toxic flatulence emitted by a multitude of creatures (you know who you are. Please desist), road debris and cosmic rays to erode or dissolve the controller case, it aint thin aluminium.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/225076305952?var=524146674139
 
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sparkysxx

Pedelecer
Sep 6, 2024
33
11
3d print worked out well but need to shave a bit off to fit my frame, will update with pics soon, worked out how it fits aswell, clever design
 
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guerney

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 7, 2021
11,952
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Several months after post #9... I had cut a bit of aluminium door bolt housing to protect the topmost eroded part; used superglue + biccarbonate of soda to keep it there. I had my doubts, but it's held on since October last year. However, on the underside more paint and aluminium controller casing has been eroded away by road debris, as has paint on the motor...


63104


Looking at the where the erosion is located, I reckon a longer front mudflap is required:


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This heat resistant paint...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/225076305952?var=524146674139

... has taken an inbeath during the intervening months, caused container suckage:


63103

...despite this, I've cleaned the eroded area thorougly (soapy water, 99.9% isopropyl) and given the eroded areas a thick coat - there's no way I could give it a thin coat because this stuff is unbelievably thick and sticky hard to apply stuff, more like tar than paint. Forms thin spider web-like strands about 60cm long. Perhaps it's gone off or something. Whatever, I'll continue giving it coats until this 30ml sample container is empty. Perhaps it'll dry flat. Fortunately, I care more about function than aesthetics. Persons of a sensitive disposition should look away now.


63105
 
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saneagle

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 10, 2010
8,444
3,847
Telford
I was thinking of just wiring the controller straight into the battery with no connector involved at all, wish i had thought of that before cutting it but there ya go, I can't uncut it now. I was just trying to make it neat, but theres a load of other long wires that I can't cut anyway so don't really know why I did it.

I have the capacity to make the cable coming from the battery as long as i want it to. Its a shame that the power cable is potted in the controller, otherwise I'd just resolder it there.

Also i doubt this bike will see any water unless it starts raining whilst I'm out and I plan for that not to happen.
Connectors are not necessary. They just add expense and subtract reliability. It's better to solder the battery wires however you want.
 

guerney

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 7, 2021
11,952
3,357
This very important stamp under the motor isn't deep, and it's being damaged too. I'm sticking some thick clear vinyl tape over to protect it, though some kind of high temperature clear lacquer would be a better idea.


63117
 
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AndyBike

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 8, 2020
1,664
704
Re attached it but feel like a knob for cutting it in the first place, this hasn't helped y OCD, also lost more length on the cable doing this as the heat shrink was shrinking as I was soldering so had to start again.
Dont feel so bad.
I had to feed brake hose through a suss frame, and feed a foam tube into the frame at the same time(prevents rattling) I'd initially cut the hose to the 'correct' length for the bars which were 720mm
But after a bit of though I can see a 720mm bar is too narrow for this type of bike, and i should have used an 810mm on instead.
It would be near impossible to re-feed it without using a cable threading kit,due the the foam tube now being inside the frame.
New hose is only about 20 quid, but the re-feed it, i must use the frame feeding kit which is going to cost me another £55
So one little mistake through my not thinking and im now £75 out.

I hate internal routing. It takes replacing mech cables or brake hose away from a simple job and turns it into a nightmare chore which no doubt will involve much grinding and gnashing of teeth
 

thelarkbox

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 23, 2023
1,555
485
oxon
This very important stamp under the motor isn't deep, and it's being damaged too. I'm sticking some thick clear vinyl tape over to protect it, though some kind of high temperature clear lacquer would be a better idea.


View attachment 63117
- insomnia inspired bright idea #1- Perhaps a smear of poundshop white nail polish to fill in the engraving, followed by a few coats of 5 minute epoxy might be an option, the white nail polish should show through epoxy even if turned yellow with UV exposure.
 

guerney

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 7, 2021
11,952
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- insomnia inspired bright idea #1- Perhaps a smear of poundshop white nail polish to fill in the engraving, followed by a few coats of 5 minute epoxy might be an option, the white nail polish should show through epoxy even if turned yellow with UV exposure.
Good idea, thanks. I should have done that or something like the moment it arrived, because this is the pits! They're a bit deep. Although white paint marker pen scrawl rubs off easy, I'll try a proof of concept with that and cover with viny tape in a bit. White marker pens are useful for marking power supplies so you don't switch the wrong one off when faced with a lot of them, wheelie bins and other unidentified dark plastic objects.
 

guerney

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 7, 2021
11,952
3,357
Glouped over.


63136


Although white paint marker pen scrawl rubs off easy, I'll try a proof of concept with that and cover with viny tape in a bit.
Pits are too deep. Paint shows pits up more too.


63118


The QC and QC passed stickers have fared well. So I've wiped white paint marker off and stuck clear vinyl over:


63119


I'll keep a photo handy on my phone to show any nosey rozzery plods I encounter.

I might try covering the pits with balck sharpie... arrrrgggghhh I'm not one of those dudes painting masterpices on grains of rice, can't do it.

White paint and sticky vinyl it is.


63120


White emulsion pen markings serve as insubstantially effective undercoat for ball point pen... slightly clearer. I don't have a sharpie sharp enough.


63124


No white paint marker, 250W slightly defined by sharpie, which looks less purple than the ball point:


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Was in better shape January 2024:


63121


I suppose I could try printing a mask onto transparent vinyl, to obscure the pits with.
 
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guerney

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 7, 2021
11,952
3,357
In case anyone else considers using this heat resistant paint, not only is it exceptionally sticky tar-like and hard to apply, it also drips, extremely slowly... so I'm drying it vertically, keeping cables away using string. Six coats so far. I'm rather hoping higher than usual heat conductivity is one of the reasons for it's heat resistance, because I've slathered it onto the motor controller right thick. Whatever toxic shiz this paint is composed of will erode to coat the innards of your lungs, which will be my revenge for your bloody four metal wheeled boxes on wheels damaging mine - this will happen muwahahahahahaha!


63154

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guerney

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 7, 2021
11,952
3,357
Seven coats and I think that's it, very little tar-like paint left to apply. Lets see how long this resists barrages of road particulate effecting erosion. Look away now if disturbed by the sight of dried ripply paint.


63160


63162


New wheels have never been perfectly true. I had bought a rear wheel from BanruptbikeParts on ebay months ago, and because I have rim brakes, I wanted to make certain it was perfectly true before installation, thought I'd try my local bike shop's wheel truing service - the 1000 year old owner held the axles in his hands and asked me to give it a spin... then said "Nothing much wrong with that. Not worth paying for. You'll be fine". Refused to inspect it further. Said he might if I returned and insisted, after having a good look at it myself.
 
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Nealh

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 7, 2014
21,400
8,746
61
West Sx RH
Why not just extend the mud flap ?
I did so on my Kona Ute, I have some old butyl pond liner /shed roof covering over and cut a pair of extra longer extensions for my mudguards.
Front one protects my down tube and TSDZ2 from damage and the rear one protects my trailer cargo contents from debris splatter.